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In 2020 Toyota announced plans to build a fully connected, prototype City of the Future in the space of a 70-hectare former factory site in Susono City at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. Then on February 23, 2021, the seminal, groundbreaking ceremony took place to mark the project’s construction. Toyota Woven City, together with Toyota’s e-Palette will act as a real-life testing platform for new forms of retail, dining, experiences and bringing people together in the public realm.
Bjarke Ingels, the Danish architect who has received international acclaim for his innovative designs in architecture and urbanism, presents the concept for the Woven City. If you're interested in improving your presentation skills, up-levelling your English vocabulary and connecting with one of today's most influential architects, then you won't want to miss this video lesson.
‘the woven city project officially starts today,’
Woven City will feature a fully connected ecosystem powered by hydrogen fuel cells and innovate and test new hydrogen energy production and distribution systems. Designing the city from the ground up comes with the benefit of installing the latest technologies and not having to worry about retrofitting aging infrastructure. Toyota and ENEOS will commit to testing refining hydrogen energy production and distribution in the Woven City. In this blog post, you'll watch the short video of Bjarke Ingels presentation and have the opportunity to do the interactive video to learn some vocabulary and think more deeply about some of the concepts discussed in the video.
As well as more in-depth topics about business English related to being an architect, this video is similar to the materials we use together to help them develop and articulate ideas with more confidence, discuss in-depth the topics that are relevant to the industry and break down some of the ideas and language.
About this lesson:
In this short video and interactive lesson, you'll watch Bjarke Ingels describe the concept, including sustainable considerations.
You'll learn some architecture vocabulary, and you'll have the opportunity to identify some common phrasal verbs.
“Today, the typical street is
a mess, with everything and nothing everywhere.”
Watch the video to find out exactly what he means. Do you agree or disagree with the above quote?
Words and Expressions of the day:
from the ground up - to start from the very beginning
retrofitting - to make changes to an existing building
autonomous (adjective) - having the freedom to govern itself or control its own affairs.
autonomy (noun) - the right or condition of self-government or management of one's self
Some things to think about & discuss:
The Woven City will explore ways to stimulate human interaction in the urban space. After all human connectivity is the kind of connectivity that triggers well-being and happiness productivity and innovation.
What do you think about the above quote? Do you agree or disagree?
What do you think of the plans for the Toyota Woven City? Is it a feasible vision or an unrealistic experiment?
What, if anything, would you change?
Would you like to live and work in a place like this?
What techniques and languages does Bjarke uses to engage the audience? Think about some of the adjectives he uses, e.g.' spectacular views' and how he introduces the ideas to the audience. What and how does he tell the audience?
How does Bjarke use visuals well in his presentation?
How Bjarke Ingels uses Storytelling in his presentations in 8 Easy to Follow Steps
Bjarke Ingels simplifies the presentation into a step-by-step process that explains each concept without too much information and clutter. The presentation in this example explains the intention behind each of their major design decisions and helps the audience to feel like they are experiencing the design. We use the example video to explain the steps he takes to give engaging presentations.
Step 1: (the problem /the hook / setting the scene)
he paints the picture and tells his audience what the current situation is.
Step 2: The beginning point:
He starts telling the story by beginning with the most important logical step Step 3: He invites the audience to imagine themselves walking through space Step 4: He tells the audience how they will feel
He explains feelings and benefits using emotive and powerful words: serene, living environment, accelerate, preserving spectacular views and he uses conviction in his sentences 'it will do this..."
Step 5: Explains what the concept is, how it works and why each element is important
Step 6: The climax / the icing on the cake / the best part Once he has built the tension, he tells us what the best part of the concept is.
Step 7: Why all this is important
Step 8: Ends on a Powerful statement or Insight
"after all human connectivity is the kind of connectivity that triggers well-being and happiness productivity and innovation so here you have it nested at the base of Mount Fuji the Toyota Woven City."
How could you use this structure for your next presentation?
See my blog post about the language of presenting for more ideas of expressions you might use during a presentation.
Find out more about the Toyota Woven City.
Why I love using interactive Video lessons
I love using videos for teaching English to all my coaching clients. First of all, this is how people tend to consume media nowadays. I believe it's a great way to break down and understand vocabulary while also learning inspiring and interesting things about the industry and presenting ideas.
To build up your confidence around expressing your ideas, it's important to do it as often as possible. This is one way to help you develop the mindset the overcome your challenges with the language.
In addition to this, I like to use authentic videos to ask questions and apply newly learned vocabulary to real situations to make sure the new vocabulary is understood. Using this content allows my clients to engage in relevant and authentic topics that they might come across in conversations about design.
👉 Want to stop feeling like you don't have the words to speak up? Ready to start building the confidence you deserve to start speaking up in meetings and giving your opinion more freely? Download my free evaluation, and action plan Take Action, Speak Up.
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